One Trade That Could Quietly Change the Detroit Tigers Playoff Outlook
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The Detroit Tigers are one of the hardest teams to understand in baseball this season. They have arguably the best all-around catcher in Dillon Dingler, rookie phenom Kevin McGonigle, and an elite starting rotation highlighted by back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
However, their bullpen has choked far too many times, which is why they lead the league in games lost that they led in the seventh inning or later. That being said, the Tigers were under .500 and a handful of games back of the final wild card spot going into Saturday night's action.
But the American League sure is peculiar this season, meaning teams hovering below a winning record are all seemingly in the running for a playoff spot. However, Skubal is still highly likely to be dealt no matter how close they are when the weekend comes to a close.
That being said, their season isn't over by any means, because Detroit is inches away from clawing their way into the postseason, and if the ballclub doesn't fully clean house in a fire sale, they only need one piece of the roster to get some help — the bullpen.
It is an odd situation for the front office, because the playoffs are still attaniable, but they cannot gamble on the return that Skubal will bring. So, it is almost a sure thing that his next start won't be with the organization, but if the Tigers don't clean house and address their relieving issues, they will be playing in October.
A Couple of Arms Would Make All the Difference
It is somewhat hard to understand why Detroit has to get rid of Skubal despite being on the brink of a playoff spot, but his stock value could not be higher at this point in time, and the ballclub can get a few high-quality players back in return.
On paper, the Tigers' bullpen doesn't necessarily look that rough in terms of ERA. It is simply the timely runs that the pitching staff has allowed, low-lighted in Skubal's final start in their uniform at Comerica Park as he left the mound with a 7-1 lead in the seventh after a historic outing, but the team ended up losing in extra innings.
The offense has been absolutely explosive with countless double-digit runs on the scoreboard, and overall the starting rotation has been about as good as anybody's in baseball, even if Skubal is taken off the roster.
Casey Mize, Troy Melton, and Keider Montero have performed beautifully when they have taken the bump, and if Framber Valdez and/or Jack Flaherty can find some consistency down the stretch, then they are set.
Skubal was adamant about his desire to stay with the ball club that launched his career, but if they can get a high-leverage arm and some top prospects for him, then spend some money on another reliever, this team will be sent to the playoffs.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.